Keys
by KatsyKat
Summary: What do keys represent? Ed and Winry have different views. A short discussion in Rush Valley. Friendship fic romance if you squint.


Keys

By Suzi aka KatsyKat

What do keys represent? Ed and Winry have different views. A short discussion in Rush Valley. Friendship fic - romance if you squint. - Insert redundant disclaimer here.

* * *

"Quite the collection of keys you have there." Ed commented as he watched Winry manage a ring with thirty or better keys of all shapes and sizes.

"Eh?" Winry finished locking Gabrial's shop in Rush Valley and turned to her childhood friend. "I suppose it's more than a person would usually carry..."

Ed laughed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "If THAT isn't an understatement."

"Well…" Winry looked at her keys in concentration…

"There's the keys for shop doors…" Winry held up two large big iron keys and then flipped them over the ring as she identified each, "The front and back locks are different even though both deadbolts are the same..." She pushed a small iron key so it slid to chime against the other two.

Ed shook his head. "Sounds like a headache."

"Not really." She said absentmindedly, still looking at the keys in her hand.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'd get tired of lugging all those things around. You must have a lot of responsibilities."

"Responsibilities?" Winry questioned, searching his face.

"That's what I'd call it. Having to keep track of everything…" Ed looked away quickly, relieved as Winry continued naming the keys.

"This one is for the storage shed… the medicine cabinet… the safe..." She paused after identifying the small silver keys. "I suppose those do represent responsibilities… although Mr. Gabrial usually handles most of those things… this is just so I can get to them if I need to when he isn't around."

Ed nodded, "yea… I bet it's just a small step to make you start handling more."

"No. It's actually… nice to know that he trusts me." A grin bloomed across Winry's face, almost in spite of Ed's growing confusion. "I guess that's why I never thought having these keys as a burden… because they represent the trust people have in me."

"Eh?" Ed had entered mono-syllable comprehension – not a good sign. Winry smiled and held up a small brass key.

"You see… this is also the key to Mr. Gabrial's house."

"What?!?!?" Ed stammered, his face turning red… "He gave… you… took… to his HOUSE?!?"

Winry laughed. "It's not like that, jeez, Ed. Give a girl some credit!" She smacked him playfully. "When Mr. Gabrial goes on vacation, I help water his plants and stuff. He asked me to keep it in case he ever had to leave town last-minute, so he didn't have to worry about getting me a copy made."

"I see.." Ed said, the blush in his face diminishing slowly… "But then what are the rest of those things for?" He questioned, now curious.

Winry looked down at the two-thirds of her as yet, unnamed keys , smiling fondly.

"These are keys to many of our clients' homes."

Ed's eyes widened, but before he could make any more ridiculous assumptions Winry continued.

"As you well know, automail surgery can entail an excruciatingly long recovery period." Ed winced at the memory. "So, some clients give me a key so I can stop in and check on them, without them worrying about making it to the door to let me in."

"They give you the key to their homes, not knowing when you might stop by... that's… that's…"

"Trust." Said Winry, catching Ed's eye.

"I was going to say crazy." Ed finished, looking away. "No offense Winry, but what do these people really know about you – to be giving you their house keys."

Winry chuckled, knowing better than to take offense at every offensive thing Ed said. "I suppose you're right. I could be a snooper, or a peeping tom." She winked at Ed's growing discomfort, "What with their being laid up from surgery I could finally get all the loot to split amongst me crew!"

Ed scowled. Now she was making front of him. "I know YOU'RE not like that. It's just that... how do THEY know? I'm only pointing out the obvious. It's almost like an invasion of privacy or something!"

Winry was silent for a minute and Ed thought he'd angered her. Finally, much to his relief, she began talking.

"I guess I can see why you say that… but you've always been a private person. You keep a lot of stuff about yourself hidden, so I guess that would make you more uncomfortable with it than most people."

Ed jerked to look at her… is that how she saw him?

Winry continued, not noticing his shock at her truthful statement.

"They may not know much about me when we first meet, but I think they know enough. By giving me their house keys they're trusting me with their possessions. But by making the decision to undergo automail surgery at all… they're trusting me with their very lives. Is it really such a surprise they'd be so giving of a little thing like a key after that?"

Ed stared at her, wide-eyed. He'd never thought of it that way.

Trusting their lives to her... I mean, he'd do it in a second, and obviously had - but he never looked at it that way before. In many ways, Winry was the most trustworthy person he knew... he'd stake everything on her. Was it possible that she didn't know that? Could she really NOT know how much he trusted her?

Finally, realizing Winry WAS actually looking for a response, he shook his head.

"When you put it that way, it's a wonder that everyone in town hasn't handed you their keys."

Winry, frowned, confused. Were they talking about the same thing here?

Well aquainted with the mood-swings of the great alchemist, she decided that rather than press him in his suddenly melancholy state she would appease his stomach. She grabbed his hand and tugged him after her.

"Com'on – enough questions! I'm hungry and you promised me dinner!"

So determined to distract him from whatever he was worried about, Winry missed the light blush that surfaced on Ed's face as he allowed her to drag him to her favorite resturant.

* * *

The next day when she arrived at the shop, Winry was not surprised to find the Elric brothers had left suddenly during the night. 

They did, at least, leave her a note: a short scrawl that they'd gotten a lead on their goal… sorry to rush off… blah blah…

Winry sighed – skimming over the last few lines. Typical jerks.

She was about to toss it in her mail pile when something fell from the envelope.

There was a light twang of metal hitting the floor. Confused, Winry bent to pick the object up from the floor. Realizing what it was Winry stood frozen.

She stood still for so long Mr. Gabrial actually stopped working to come over and ask her if she needed to sit down.

She shook her head, cheeks flushed.

In her hand, she clutched a small nickel military issue key. She could only assume it was to the brothers' dorm in Central.

Seeing it, Mr. Gabrial left with a knowing smile.

At the bottom of the letter a small hastily added note said simply:

_It's not home, but you're always welcome.

* * *

_

Special thanks to UltimateProcrastinator for helping me with some grammar mistakes. :D


End file.
